Newslinks for Sunday 20th July 2014

Cameron warns Russia of tougher sanctions to come…

“If President Putin does not change his approach to Ukraine, then Europe and the West must fundamentally change our approach to Russia. … This is not about military action, plainly. But it is time to make our power, influence and resources count. … We don’t seek a relationship of confrontation with Russia. But we must not shrink from standing up for the principles that govern conduct between independent nations in Europe and which ultimately keep the peace on our continent.” – David Cameron, Sunday Times (£)

“For this is the grimmest of graveyards.” – Ian Birrell visits the crash site for the Mail on Sunday

“Mourn the victims… but don’t turn one tragedy into a global catastrophe” – Peter Hitchens, Mail on Sunday

…as Fallon accuses Putin of sponsoring terrorism

“The New Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has accused Vladimir Putin of ‘sponsoring terrorism’ and delivered an ultimatum to Russia’s leader: ‘Get out of Ukraine.’ … In the most outspoken response to the crisis from any senior western politician, Mr Fallon said Putin must be taught he cannot get away with ‘egging on’ Russian separatists blamed for the attack. … ‘We have to make it very clear if there is any more interference like this – and it turns out he was behind it – there will be repercussions. He has to be clear the West will act.’” – Mail on Sunday

“Defence chiefs are to splash out £650 million on spy drones to patrol Britain’s coast.” – Sun on Sunday (£)

And Fallon also writes for the Sunday Telegraph:

“Despite the complex threats to UK security and interests there are two reasons to be confident about the future. First, we have some of the best and most capable Armed Forces in the world. Second, thanks to four years of hard work of my predecessors, we now have the defence budget under control.” – Michael Fallon, Sunday Telegraph

Osborne to unveil another set of pension reforms

“Pensioners will be able to fast-forward retirement payouts under radical plans to be unveiled by George Osborne tomorrow. … The Chancellor will outline a raft of changes which include enabling pensioners to vary the level of annuity payments over the course of their retirement. … The proposals come after a public consultation on promoting more freedom and choice on pensions.” – Mail on Sunday

“The UK remains the most attractive destination in Europe for foreign business investment, winning almost 1,800 new projects in the past year – the highest since records began in the 1980s, according to official figures released today.” – Independent on Sunday

“The gender pay gap could be closed significantly if more women were encouraged to take up apprenticeships in traditional ‘male’ sectors such as building, engineering and computing, research by a leading think tank has found.” – Independent on Sunday

“Britain should set up an independent body to assess the country’s long-term infrastructure needs to guarantee economic growth and prevent vital projects from becoming political footballs, a group of business leaders has declared this weekend.” – Sunday Telegraph

Reshuffle ruckus 1) Fox criticises the “naivety” of those who expect to gain power from Juncker

“Fox, the former defence secretary who was offered a post at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office he had held in the 1990s, told The Sunday Times that it was ‘naive’ of Tory leaders to imagine they will get concessions from Jean-Claude Juncker, the European Commission president. Cameron met him last week to lobby for reform. … ‘What we have always warned about is that Juncker and Co are going to ignore the European elections and continue towards ever closer union,’ he said. ‘Anybody who has ever believed anything else is unbelievably naive.'” – Sunday Times (£)

“As it is, Fox has chosen to retain his freedom as a tribune of the Right to speak out on ‘the issues that matter most to me and my constituents in North Somerset… the economy, immigration and Europe’. I can imagine the good doctor’s deadly rictus as he delivered this message to Cameron. They are the words of a man who does not want to contaminate his credentials as a Right-wing leadership contender, perhaps as soon as next May.” – Matthew d’Ancona, Sunday Telegraph

Reshuffle ruckus 2) Paterson rages against the Green Blob

“I am proud that my departure was greeted with such gloating by spokespeople for the Green Party and Friends of the Earth. … It was not my job to do the bidding of two organisations that are little more than anti-capitalist agitprop groups most of whose leaders could not tell a snakeshead fritillary from a silver-washed fritillary. I saw my task as improving both the environment and the rural economy; many in the green movement believed in neither.” – Owen Paterson, Sunday Telegraph

“Britain faces a future of repeated and ever more devastating floods unless politicians invest hundreds of millions of pounds in building better defences, the outgoing chairman of the Environment Agency has warned.” – Sunday Times (£)

“For climate change activists, this week was marked by an ‘I-told-you-so’ moment after a group of experts from around the world release their annual report indicating that the Earth is getting warmer.” – Mail on Sunday

“Cabinet new boy Stephen Crabb’s first act as Welsh Secretary was to scrap his £100,000-a-year, taxpayer-funded Jaguar limousine. … Instead, Mr Crabb, 41, pictured right, plans to use public transport to get to work, and one of the Government’s pool of eco-friendly Toyota Prius cars when necessary.” – Mail on Sunday

And comment:

“Guido hears the badger slayer did not take his departure well, sounding off in Cameron’s face when given the news.” – Guido Fawkes, Sun on Sunday (£)

Rehuffle ruckus 3) The recovery isn’t yet entrenched, suggests Clarke

“Former chancellor Kenneth Clarke has cast serious doubt on the underlying strength of the British economy, saying there is a ‘long, long way’ to go before it is competitive enough to deliver sustainable growth and compete with emerging powers such as China and Brazil. … In an interview with the Observer to mark the end of an illustrious career that has spanned more than 40 years in government, Clarke says Britain has to break out of the ‘ludicrous cycle’ of house price booms followed by crashes, and must focus on creating a productive manufacturing base in tandem with vibrant financial and other service industries.” – The Observer

Reshuffle ruckus 4) The Sun apologises to Esther McVey

“In an article ‘Esther’s Sit-in’ in the Sun on Sunday, we stated that Esther McVey MP refused to leave Downing Street until her demands for a new job were met, said farewell to her staff the previous day and spent £585 on a Vivienne Westwood dress to wear for the reshuffle. … In fact, Ms McVey accepted the job offered to her without disagreement and, while she spoke to staff ahead of the reshuffle, did not say goodbye. Her Whistles dress was seven years old and did not cost £585. We are happy to set the record straight and apologise to Ms McVey.” – from the Saturday 26th July edition of The Sun

“It has been a good week for women – but we still have a long way to go” – Mary Riddell, Sunday Telegraph

“Good to see more women at the cabinet table, but it should have happened sooner” – Anushka Asthana, The Observer

Reshuffle ruckus 5) Buckland’s appointment called into question

“David Cameron’s reshuffle was thrown into chaos last night after it was revealed his new Law Minister was found guilty of professional misconduct after illicitly obtaining case notes from a race-hate trial. … Tory MP Robert Buckland, 45, was censured by a tribunal following his intervention into an enquiry over an attack by 13 Asians on a white pupil at a school where he was governor. … Mr Buckland, appointed Solicitor General last week, last night admitted that he did not tell David Cameron of the charge.” – Mail on Sunday

Reshuffle ruckus 6) The ties that bound the modernisers together are broken, reports James Forsyth

“What should worry the Prime Minister most is that the bonds between him and the modernisers who propelled him to power are now broken. … A disillusioned member of this group tells me that Gove’s treatment has resulted in ‘the removal of any vestiges of emotional loyalty to Cameron’. … I’m told that if Cameron fails to secure for the Tories the ability to govern alone after the Election, this group will not feel obliged to protect him from the vengeful Right.” – James Forsyth, Mail on Sunday

“…it was all going like a train until Gove’s wife tore aside the net curtains and let us see straight into their North Kensington front room, telling us what the couple was really thinking.” – Rachel Johnson, Mail on Sunday

“…the reshuffle was about the Tory high command jettisoning anything – and anyone – they conclude might get in the way of Mr Cameron winning.” – Iain Martin, Sunday Telegraph

“Around the prime minister, among the aides who have always obsessed about projecting him as ‘strong’, there was clearly a feeling that he did need to show his inner bastard.” – Andrew Rawnsley, The Observer

“Now that the moderates have gone in Cameron’s reshuffle, we face the catasrophe of walking away from the European Convention on Human Rights” – Sadiq Khan, The Observer

“Without Gove where is the reforming vision?” – Sunday Times editorial (£)

And two Gove-related news stories:

“Nick Clegg has refused to speak to Michael Gove ‘for months’, according to a source close to the Deputy Prime Minister, revealing the extent of the breakdown at the heart of the coalition.” – Independent on Sunday

“More than 70 head teachers and other education experts have written to The Sunday Times bemoaning the sacking of the education secretary, Michael Gove.” – Sunday Times (£)

The Sunday Times profiles one of the architects of the reshuffle, Lynton Crosby

“Crosby, 57, has no patience for politicians who wander off course. The new recruits to the cabinet will soon feel his hand on their collars if they step out of line. … What gives Crosby his authority is his strict adherence to data on voter concerns, gleaned through Textor’s detailed polls and focus groups. ‘What makes him powerful round a table of powerful people is that he will back up every word he says with research, so no one can outmanoeuvre him,’ said a former colleague.” – Sunday Times (£)

“The ORB International survey for the Telegraph shows that six in ten voters believe the reshuffle – which demoted Michael Gove and promoted several female ministers – was ‘a step in the right direction’ for the Tories.” – Sunday Telegraph

Morgan reaches out to teachers – but promises not to halt reform

“The new education secretary, Nicky Morgan, moved with extraordinary speed last week to build bridges with teachers. Just hours after Michael Gove was sacked, she rewrote a final ministerial statement from her predecessor to include a promise to listen to their views on schools reform. … Her intervention was welcomed by the teaching unions, who said it signalled ‘a wholly different tone’ after more than four years during which Gove angered many in the profession by largely ignoring their views, and dismissing the wider education establishment as ‘the blob’.” – The Observer

“In an interview with The Sunday Times, Nicky Morgan dismissed claims that she has been sent by David Cameron to call a halt to reforms, pledging instead to open new free schools and expand grammar schools where parents want them.” – Sunday Times (£)

“Teenagers who struggle to get out of bed in the morning could soon have an excuse. The first experiment to test whether pupils perform better after a lie-in is expected to be approved this week.” – Sunday Times (£)

And comment:

“Britain’s young deserve better from this government” – Observer editorial

Birmingham teachers to keep their jobs

“Senior teachers heavily implicated in the so-called Trojan Horse plot to Islamise Birmingham state schools will keep their jobs, despite damning criticism from four official inquiries. … Only hours after Michael Gove was removed as education secretary last week, Department for Education officials made a ‘five-point agreement’ with the management of the academy schools at the centre of the plot – Park View, Golden Hillock and Nansen — according to the trust that runs all three.” – Sunday Telegraph

“Head teachers will this week urge Nicky Morgan, the new education secretary, to introduce mandatory training for all teachers to tackle and prevent extremism in the classroom.” – Sunday Times (£)

Grayling wants to compensate victims ahead of inmates…

“Compensation handed to lags for jail mishaps could be given to victims in a crackdown being planned by ministers. … It comes as new figures show £542,435 paid to inmates in three months to the end of May — with £65,000 for one hurt at London’s Belmarsh jail. … The bill, set to top £3million this year, includes lawyers’ fees. Justice Secretary Chris Grayling wants the payouts used to help crooks’ victims or settle any unpaid fines.” – Sun on Sunday (£)

“The Ministry of Justice is trying to re-employ more than 2,000 prison officers who only recently took voluntary redundancy, in a move to avert a crisis triggered by the rising number of prisoners in Britain’s jails.” – The Observer

“Almost 35,000 over-60s have been nabbed in the past year, The Sun on Sunday had learned from the Ministry of Justice. The total, which follows a Freedom of Information request, is up from 31,800 five years ago — despite crime overall having plummeted.” – Sun on Sunday (£)

…as the number of deported criminals falls to a low

“The number of foreign criminals deported hit a record low last year … Home Office records revealed to The Sun on Sunday under freedom of information laws show 4,110 foreign criminals were deported in 2010 — the year the Tories came to power. But that dropped to 3,375 in 2011 and 3,545 in 2012. … Tory MP Philip Davies said: “It is extremely worrying that as we have more coming into the country, the number of foreign criminals being deported is going down.'” – Sun on Sunday (£)

“London gangs are drawing up and disseminating lists of teenage girls whom they consider to be legitimate rape targets, as sexual violence is increasingly used to spread fear and antagonise rival groups.” – The Observer

Whom will Bercow hire as Commons clerk? The backlash has already begun

“Commons Speaker John Bercow is embroiled in a row over claims that a £200,000-a-year Westminster job is to be given to an Australian woman – even though a rival male candidate is better qualified. … Insiders at Westminster say Ms Mills, who is in charge of Australia’s Department of Parliamentary Services, is the strong favourite, despite claims the sole male on the list, David Natzler, is better qualified.” – Mail on Sunday

Tory peers and donors among those avoiding tax, the Mail on Sunday claims

“Tory peers, celebrated comedians and a Treasury quango chief are among the latest big names who could receive hefty bills from the taxman for investing in potential tax avoidance schemes. … Four of England’s Ashes-winning cricketers can also be revealed as among the backers of film and property financing funds that appeared to be legitimate investments but may now be challenged by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.” – Mail on Sunday

Dominic Lawson: This Government is repealing Magna Carta

“David Cameron has declared that to understand what it is to be British all children should be taught about Magna Carta. … Yet the same David Cameron heads a government about to enact a measure that permits the state to plunder people’s bank accounts without first gaining permission from the courts. The coalition insists that such a clear breach of what its leader himself calls the very essence of Britishness is necessary in the battle against those who don’t pay their due in taxes.” – Dominic Lawson, Sunday Times (£)

Carmichael: “The UK as a whole is greater than the sum of its parts”

“‘Both sides lose,’ argues Mr Carmichael, who was a hotelier and then a lawyer before becoming an MP. ‘It’s clichéd to say it, but it’s true that the United Kingdom as a whole is greater than the sum of its constituent parts.’ His argument infuriates the SNP, which points to Scotland’s North Sea oil and gas reserves, financial services industry and whisky exports as evidence that the country could support itself.” – Independent on Sunday

“New European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker is ‘sympathetic’ to an independent Scotland joining the EU due to his experience as a politician from a small member state, it emerged last night.” – Scotsman on Sunday

“The Liberal Democrats are planning radical changes to their economic policy as they prepare to ditch plans to scrap the Barnett Formula and instead protect funding for Scotland, Scotland On Sunday can reveal.” – Scotland on Sunday

And comment:

“As a nation and a family, we are now a house divided” – Kevin McKenna, The Observer

“…the idea of a written constitution is in the air.” – Allan Massie, Sunday Telegraph

“After negotiations at [Labour’s] policy forum in Milton Keynes … Supporters for a bold approach from Ed Miliband secured a commitment to ‘reverse the presumption against the public sector’ in the running of services, implying a new role for the state in overseeing services. … Under the agreement, Labour will conduct a review into a franchising system which it says has let down passengers with poor value for money and some of Europe’s highest fares.” – The Observer

Blair advises Miliband to shift to the centre…

“Tony Blair will issue a coded warning to Ed Miliband tomorrow that the Labour leader cannot win the next election unless he fights from the centre ground. … In a speech to mark the 20th anniversary of Blair becoming Labour leader, the former prime minister will pledge to do what he can to help Miliband to get to No 10. … He will tell the Blairite think tank Progress that elections are won from the centre and that the party must woo business as well as workers.” – Sunday Times (£)

“Ed Miliband’s policy chief has embarrassed the Labour leader on the eve of a planned meeting with Barack Obama by suggesting that he should not be so fixated on the US president and his team.” – Sunday Times (£)

“Unless Mr Miliband can recover some of his leadership deficit, however, the presidential nature of post-war British politics is going to count against him.” – Independent on Sunday editorial

“Mr Miliband has chosen not to reach out to the Centre or even to offer serious alternatives to the Government’s policies” – Sunday Telegraph editorial

…just as he and Straw receive warning letters ahead of Chilcot publication

“Sir John Chilcot, chair of the public inquiry into the 2003 invasion of Iraq, is poised to send formal letters to those whose conduct he criticises in his final report. … The then Prime Minister, Tony Blair, and Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, are among those expected to be sent what are known as ‘Salmon’ or ‘Maxwellisation’ letters in the coming weeks. Anyone criticised in public inquiries is entitled to see and challenge extracts related to them before publication.” – Independent on Sunday

Miners’ union drops law firm after insult

“A legal firm that made more than £77 million from miners’ compensation claims has been dropped by a union after calling its members ‘thick’. … The insult came in a training manual Raleys Solicitors wrote for its own staff. In it, a generic miner making a compensation claim is named ‘Mr Thikas Toosh Ortplanks’. … Campaigner John Mann MP said the disparaging email showed the firm’s ‘breathtaking arrogance’.” – Mail on Sunday

Council bosses increase their own pay

“More than half of councils in England have defied the government’s demand for pay restraint by raising the salaries of their top executives while cutting local services. … Analysis by The Sunday Times of last year’s accounts filed by 226 of the 326 local authorities across England reveals that 137 (61%) paid their biggest-earning executive more than David Cameron, whose salary is £142,500.” – Sunday Times (£)

“An ambulance boss has come under fire after it emerged he is paid £232,000 a year.” – Sun on Sunday (£)

“Government departments have been accused of exploiting cleaning staff by paying them almost £2.50 an hour less than the recommended living wage for London.” – Sunday Times (£)

NHS director promises seven-day service by 2017

“Sir Bruce Keogh, the NHS England medical director, has pledged that by March 2017 patients will get the same level of treatment at weekends as they receive during the week, regardless of resistance to the change from doctors’ leaders. … In an interview with The Sunday Times, which has campaigned for a seven-day service, Keogh said: ‘The NHS is owned by the people of this country. It needs to respond to society’s demands and it is quite clear that the people of this country want us to give considerable thought to how we can improve the services at the weekend. My sense is that most clinicians get it.'” – Sunday Times (£)

News in brief

Boko Haram insurgents kill 100 people as they take control of Nigerian town – The Observer

And finally: Mr Hague goes to Hollywood

“Cabinet quitter William Hague is set for a mega pay day – thanks to his friendship with Angelina Jolie. … The former Foreign Secretary has showbiz agents clamouring to sign him. … In an exclusive interview with The Sun on Sunday, Mr Hague, 53, says he plans to see much more of Hollywood star Angelina when his 26 years in politics end at the next election.” – Sun on Sunday (£)

“…here we are a mere three and a bit decades later and Mr Hague, having failed to acquire the supreme prize to which his ambitions inclined him, is detaching himself from the political process at the ripe age of 53.” – DJ Taylor, Independent on Sunday

Please use the thread below to provide links to news topics likely to be of interest to ConservativeHome readers and to comment on political topics that haven’t been given their own blog. Read our comments policy.